Behind Every Mask is the Face of Another
by Halawen
Summary: Dallas hits on Clare making Eli angry and they fight, when Clare is an unintentional casualty she and the baby are put at risk. When she begins to lose hope Peter is there and he helps to give her strength along with Eli. Is it enough for her and the baby to survive? One shot. Also feat Adam, Drew, Dallas, Alli and Jenna.
1. Behind Every Mask

**Legal: I own nothing but the idea**

 **Important things to know before reading:**

 ***Begins a about a week after Dallas told Drew he's not the baby daddy**

 ***Adam and Becky broke up during summer and she stayed in Florida**

 ***Adam did not crash he was accepted to a science high school in Winnipeg and has been going to school there all year so he has not been around**

 ***Peter is back in Toronto**

 **That should do it the rest is in the shot enjoy!**

 **Behind Every Mask is the Face of Another**

 **(CLARE)**

"What you up to?" Dallas questions sitting down next to me.

"Working on student council business now so I don't have to do it with Drew in the morning," I reply. He leans closer to me and I lean away. He puts his hand on my leg and I look up at him.

"What are yo…" I begin to question and he kisses me. It's not the first time he's kissed me and neither time has been welcome. I push him away and smack him across the face. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I like you I have for a long time," he tells me with a smile and leans in to kiss me again but I push him away. I'm totally flabbergasted and appalled at his confession.

"What about Alli? Haven't you been after her since last year and now you're dating her and you kiss me!"

"I liked you first and all the girls I've ever dated are like Alli. She didn't want me she went after Leo she didn't want me until he hurt her. I chased Alli, I caught her and now I'm bored but I've wanted you for a very long time," Dallas says taking my hand.

"You are disgusting!" I hiss at him kicking his leg then I grab my stuff and quickly get out of the student council office.

I go straight home and try not to think about Dallas. I want to tell Alli but I'm so angry I can barely speak and then I get a text from Dallas.

 **Mike Dallas: Can you meet me tomorrow morning before school at Above the Dot? Please don't say anything to Alli until I've explained.**

His text is followed by a picture of him holding his hands together and pleading with me. Because he is close to Adam and dating one of my best friends I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt. For all I know he went temporarily insane yesterday.

 **Clare: Fine I'll meet you.**

He texts me back saying thanks and gives me an exact time. I leave early for school the next morning so I can meet Dallas. Above the Dot isn't open this early but it's not that hard to get the keys from someone that works in the café. I know one of the puck bunnies that Dallas had a thing with last year is working at The Dot in the mornings so Dallas probably got the keys from her. When I open the door to the club Dallas is already here and he smiles when I come in.

"Thanks for meeting me."

"This better be good or I'm going to go straight to Alli."

"I don't care about Alli I really like you. I told Drew he was a rebound and told him he wasn't the dad because I was jealous of how close you guys were getting. I was angry and jealous that you'd had sex with him and I wanted to be with you," he says grabbing my hand and pulling me to him. He tries to kiss me again but I stomp on his foot and then slap him across the face again.

"You are a disgusting pig stay away from me," I snap at him and run out. I run down the stairs and around the corner to the café and run into Drew.

"What's the rush?"

"I'm trying to get away from Dallas. Your so called friend just kissed me and told me he was jealous of us," I tell Drew.

"Yeah right you sound like the jealous one Clare," Drew huffs pushing past me.

I huff and walk to school, Alli is on the steps and I walk over to her. I ask to talk to her in private and we go into school and into the memorial garden.

"Your boyfriend has kissed me twice, he told me he was jealous of me and Drew and he's not interested in you anymore."

"I know Dallas shouldn't have told Drew that he wasn't the father but really Clare if you're angry just talk to him don't like and try to cause problems in my happy relationship."

"Alli I'm not lying."

She doesn't say anything; she doesn't even look back at me just keeps walking. I throw up my arms in annoyance and leave the room. I go to my locker and stash my books and backpack then leave school and walk back to The Dot. Since classes are about to begin the café is all but empty.

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Eli questions.

"I'm ditching today. Dallas has kissed me twice in the last two days and told me he doesn't like Alli anymore. He wants to be with me and he told Drew that he was a rebound and that he wasn't the dad because he was jealous of us. I tried to tell Drew and Alli and they don't believe me they accused me of being jealous and lying to ruin their happiness."

"I believe Dallas would do something so low it sounds just like something he'd do. Are you okay?" Eli asks handing me some tea.

"Not really but I'll hide out here for a bit and then go home."

I hang out all morning and don't even realize it until kids start coming in for lunch. Eli gets back to work and I prepare to leave until Dallas comes in. When Eli sees him he leaps over the counter and sucker punches Dallas right in jaw! Dallas recovers quickly and punches Eli right back and the two begin fighting.

"Stop it! Both of you knock it off! Eli! Dallas stop now," I shriek but they don't listen they're too busy trying to kill each other. "Fine kill each other but I'm going home," I inform them and start walking to the door.

I have to walk past them to get to the door and Dallas shoves Eli away from him but it knocks Eli into me and the force is so much that it sends Eli and I tumbling out the door. We stop on the steps, Eli is on top of me and all of the café as well as everyone outside has gone silent and still.

"Ow," I whimper clutching my stomach as I'm tormented by a terrible pain shooting through my abdomen.

"Clare I'm sorry are you okay?" Eli asks scrambling off me.

"I don't know it hurts," I tell him trying to move but it hurts even more.

"She should go to the hospital," Jenna says coming out of the café.

"I'm calling an ambulance," Eli tells me taking me out his cell phone.

"Jenna something doesn't feel right," I tell her with fear in my voice.

"Just breathe the ambulance will be here soon," she assures me.

"Where's Dallas?" I ask.

"He ran out the back when you and Eli tumbled out the door," she replies.

Eli takes my hand and tells me that the ambulance will be here soon. Within a few moments I hear the sirens and then ambulance is here and I'm being loaded into the ambulance.

"I'm the only one here I can't leave right now but I'll be at the hospital as soon as I can," Eli tells me as they load me into the ambulance.

They put monitors on me and take my vitals on the way to the hospital. When I get to the hospital the EMTs tell them I'm pregnant they rush me to an elevator to take me to obstetrics. An orderly and the EMTs come into the elevator with me and I see someone else in the elevator.

"Peter?"

He looks over at me and his mouth drops open with shock, "Clare what a…" he can't finish because the elevator doors open and I'm rushed out.

I'm brought into a room and put in a hospital bed and almost instantly I have monitors on me. Doctors rush around and talk quickly as they are doing things and occasionally ask me questions. It feels like an eternity of this but finally Eli comes in.

"Is she okay? Is the baby?" Eli asks in one breath.

"You must be the dad," a doctor says and Eli nods. "The baby is in distress and Clare has a tear in her uterus. We believe she also fractured her tailbone or pelvic bone but we don't want to x-ray right now. We'll do what we can but you may need to deliver by cesarean," the doctor tells us and I start crying gripping Eli's hand tightly. "I know this is a lot to take in right now but Dad we need you to leave the room so we can work. We need to get Clare and the baby stabilized so we can get Clare to a scan and see if she's fractured any bones."

"I'll go call our parents is there anyone else you want me to call?" Eli asks and I shake my head.

 **(PETER)**

"I'm going to walk around a bit do you need anything?" I ask Missy. She just shakes her head and looks at Dad sleeping. Last night she called me in a panic because Dad had a heart attack. He'll be okay but he'll need to be in the hospital a few days.

Ever since seeing Clare in the elevator and watching her be wheeled out to obstetrics I've wanted to know what was going on. It was like seeing a ghost and she looked so terrified.

I leave Dad's room and go down to obstetrics I ask the nurse for Clare's room number and she tells me. When I get there I don't see Clare but I do see a boy, a boy I recognize he went to DeGrassi or still goes. He doesn't see me come in and I look at him trying to remember his name.

"Eli right?" I venture and he looks at me.

"Yeah, uh Peter you used to work at The Dot," Eli nods.

"Yeah and apparently you work there now," I comment noting his shirt. "Where's Clare?"

"They took her for an MRI to see if she fractured any bones, they said the MRI wouldn't be harmful to the baby," Eli tells me.

"I guess you're the dad," I comment and he nods. I almost ask why Clare's in the hospital but she's brought back in by the orderlies.

"You really are here," Clare comments when she sees me.

"Yeah I'm here are you okay?" I question and she starts crying. Eli takes her hand and I sit on the edge of her bed brushing a curl out of her face. We sit with Clare for a while before a doctor comes in.

"Clare you have a small fracture to you coccyx and a possible hairline fracture to your ilium. With the distress the baby is already in we don't want to treat the fractures the way we normally would. We're going to keep you in the hospital and closely monitored, if the baby kicks or even moves the wrong way it could easily make the fractures worse and will almost certainly cause the tear in your uterus to rupture. If that happens you'll have to deliver immediately."

"I'm barely 17 weeks if I deliver now…" Clare begins and the doctor cuts her off.

"If you deliver now you will lose the baby however it comes down to choosing between your life and the baby's we will have to choose yours, especially so early in fetal development. If your placenta ruptures or even if the tear on your uterus gets any larger you could hemorrhage. For now we need to get you stabilized, get the baby stabilized and keep you immobilized from the waist down so that you can heel. What we can't control is the movements of the baby. The good news is that at this stage he's still very small but that doesn't mean a sudden movement can't make things worse for both of you. Right now I need you two to step out we're going to have to get Clare and the baby set up with a number of monitors and other things."

"I called our parents they're on their way," Eli tells Clare.

"I wish Adam was here," she sniffles.

"I called him too he's trying to come home," Eli assures her. She smiles a little and he kisses her forehead. I squeeze her hand and we exit the room so the doctors can work. We barely make it out of the room before I see Clare's mom rushing over, she looks exactly the same as I remember.

"Eli what did they say?" Helen asks and then looks at me. "Hello Peter," she says slowly and somewhat unsure probably because she has no idea what I'm doing here.

"Hi Mrs. Edwards," I nod.

"It's Mrs. Martin now this is my husband Glen. Peter dated Darcy for a short time," Helen explains to Glen while he and I shake hands.

Eli says hi to his parents and then tells them what the doctor said, by the time he's done the doctors and nurses are out of the room and I decide I should get back to my dad's room and let them visit. Missy has fallen asleep in the chair next to my dad's bed, I really should just go back to my place but I can't. I want to be here with Clare, I can't explain it but I don't want to leave the hospital because I want to be near her.

I sit in my dad's room for a while, when Dad wakes up I talk to him a bit. Missy wakes up while we're talking and Dad asks me to go to their house to get them some things. I grab the stuff he needs and Missy texts me to get bring back some dinner for her and me if I'm staying so I pick that up. I bring them everything they asked for and eat dinner with Missy while Dad drifts in and out of sleep. I stay with Dad while Missy showers and then she tells me to go home and get some sleep but I want to stay at the hospital. I tell her goodnight and leave Dad's room but I don't go home I go back to Clare's room. Everyone else seems to be gone and Clare seems to be sleeping but when I come in the room she opens her eyes.

"Hey," she smiles weakly.

"Hey I came to see how you are but if you're too tired I can come back tomorrow," I tell her stepping into the room.

"No please stay I'm tired but I'd like some company," she says.

"Where's Eli?" I ask coming all the way in and closing the door behind me.

"I made him go home. The baby is his but we're not together, not any more. It's a long and complicated story."

"Well I've got all night," I grin sitting down next to her bed.

She smiles and tells me all about her relationship with Eli from the very beginning. The two of them have been through a lot. She tells me about finding out she was pregnant, thinking Drew was the father and then finding out it was Eli.

"Drew's been a real jerk since then, so has Dallas who decided yesterday to tell me he likes me. Eli punched Drew after finding out we'd slept together but since then he's been great. We've decided not to try and be together even with the baby but we will stay friends. Eli's a good guy we're just not very good as a couple. He's going to be a good dad though," she smiles and then her smile drops, "if the baby makes it."

I kiss the back of her hand and start talking about my dad to distract her for a short time. At some point while talking we both fall asleep and I don't wake up until I feel a hand shaking my shoulder. My eyes open and I look up to see Eli.

"Have you been here all night?"

"We fell asleep talking, she was telling me all about you guys. Pretty much all about her life over the last couple of years, she's pretty amazing. She's terrified that she's going to lose the baby though."

"Yeah I know we tried talking to her last night but she was terrified and not really listening. Spinner says hi by the way he's taking my shifts at The Dot for a while so I can be here with Clare."

"I should probably get home and get some rest, take a shower. Will you tell her I'll stop by later when she wakes up?"

Eli nods and I kiss the back of Clare's hand before leaving the room.

 **(CLARE)**

I open my eyes with a gasp and see Eli at my bedside.

"It was just a dream Clare," Eli assures me taking my hand.

"Eli what if we lose him? I put everything on hold to have this baby what if we lose him?"

"If we lose him it will be heartbreaking but it won't be the end of the world and as much as I want this baby with you I want you to live more. To have you in my life as a friend is better than losing you and I could lose both of you. Whether or not we have this baby together we'll always be friends Clare," Eli assuages me and we're silent for a moment. "You know Peter likes you," Eli tells me.

"No, he dated Darcy he was sweet to me but he probably just sees me as the same gawky kid."

"He stayed here all night Clare he likes you."

"You didn't punch him did you?"

"No I think he's good with you, I think you'd be good together. Anyway what happened yesterday I might never fight again," Eli says and I smile just as I hear the clicking of heels walking down the hallway.

"Can we come in?" Alli asks cautiously from behind a large vase of flowers. I nod so Eli waves her and Jenna in. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you yesterday Clare. I did exactly what you did and put all the blame you on you. I thought Dallas really liked me turns out he just likes a challenge. I confronted him and he admitted everything so I broke up with him. I'm sorry you were hurt and that Dallas is such a jerk and Drew's being such a jerk and for being a terrible friend."

"You're not a terrible friend and I can't be too angry that you didn't believe me and blamed me after all I blamed you and only you for the kiss between you and Jake. I'm glad Dallas actually did come clean though and that you broke up with him you deserve better."

"Drew is being an ever bigger jerk now, at least in a few more months we'll be completely rid of them both. Have they said when you might come back to school?" Jenna asks.

"They're recommending that I don't. I can't even move my lower half right now and they think I'll need to be in here a minimum of three weeks but probably until I deliver, if I deliver."

"Well we'll come all the time, at least every day and bring you anything your need. We have to get to school but we'll come after or tomorrow morning," Alli says hugging me lightly and then Jenna does the same.

"How are you feeling? You want anything to eat?" Eli asks when they leave.

"I'm a little thirsty," I reply. Eli smiles and pours me some water and we start talking about what to name the baby until there's a knock on the doorframe and I look up to see Adam.

"You're here," I grin.

"Of course I'm here. I came straight here from the airport so fill me in because apparently I missed a lot and Drew hasn't told me anything and neither have you two by the way," Adam scolds lightly.

"I'm sorry I didn't want you to hate me and I suppose maybe Drew feels the same," I comment.

"Now you know that I couldn't ever hate you or Drew. I have to be back at school tomorrow and my family doesn't know I'm here so start filling me in."

 **(PETER)**

I wake suddenly to a cacophony of alarms going off. Clare wakes up in a panic, gripping my hand and looking at the monitors.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asks with tears in her eyes.

"I don't know," I reply helplessly just as the door bursts open and many nurses and a doctor comes in.

"The baby's in distress," a nurse says moving the blankets back on Clare's bed and suddenly I see a lot of blood. My heart falls to my stomach as all I see is a terrible amount of blood.

"Prep her for an immediate cesarean and get her stabilized. Clare it's time, the placenta or uterus ruptured both and both you and the baby are in distress," the doctor tells her but Clare only look more terrified.

"I'll go call Eli and your parents. It's going to be okay," I assure her kissing her lips softly. I get pushed aside and she's wheeled out, I go back in the room and get out my cell phone to call Eli.

"Peter? What is it?"

"Clare's been taken for cesarean something ruptured and they need to deliver. It's happening now," I tell him.

"I'm on my way," Eli says hanging up the phone. I call Clare's mom and she says she's on the way too and then I figure out where the operating room is so I can be there when Clare is out.

Clare's been in the hospital ten weeks now; the baby and the pregnancy were so fragile they were afraid to let her go home. She's bled before, nearly went into labor and the fracture on her tailbone was re-broken a few weeks ago. Clare's almost twenty-seven weeks pregnant which means the baby has a good chance of surviving and so does Clare. Eli's here every day and so are his parents and Clare's, some of her friends have come to the hospital but mostly Alli and Jenna. Clare should be graduating next week but she'll have to stay in the hospital probably and the baby will be in the hospital for several more weeks. Clare's already finished all her work for the year; she didn't exactly have anything else to do. She even took her finals already but she won't be at the graduation ceremony.

Eli wants to be with his son and made the tough decision to transfer from NYU to U of T while Clare will attend Ryerson. They'll be in town together and share custody of their son. They're friendship has proved to be strong and Eli has been very supportive which is what Clare needed.

I've been at the hospital with Clare every day, even when my dad got out. I've spent the last ten weeks getting to know who Clare is now and falling in love with the incredible person that she is. I've spent hours here, and spent many nights and Clare knows how I feel about her. She likes me too but we're taking things slow, she's been through a lot and she needs time. She knows I'm here with her and I'm here for her. Right now she needs to be everything for her son, adjust to motherhood and look forward to school but she did say I could take her to dinner when the baby comes home from the hospital.

"Any news?" Eli asks running over to me.

"No not since they took her in but tell them you're the dad I'm pretty sure you can be in there," I reply.

Eli smiles at me and tells them he's the dad and they get him scrubs and have him scrub up. I wait with his parents and Clare's, it's about half an hour before an incubator is rushed out and we get a small glimpse of what looks like a doll. After another ten minutes or so Eli emerges.

"Clare's being sewn up, they thought it was best if I wasn't in the room for that but they said we could go see my son."

We all smile excitedly and follow Eli to the NICU. We look through the glass at the incubators and find the one that says Goldsworthy-Edwards. The nurse sees us looking at the baby and pushes the incubator and monitors closer to the window.

"He's beautiful Eli," I smile putting my hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah he is," Eli grins.

We all coo over the baby for a while, Eli is told to put on different scrubs and come in and they say one of the grandparents can go in as well so Helen goes. Glen goes to call his son and Eli's parents go to call family as well. It occurs to me that I should call Adam. I met Adam when he came out for a quick visit to see Clare. I'd known Adam from The Dot when I still worked there but Adam had just started going to DeGrassi and I left for Regina soon after that. Before Dad had his hard attack I'd already been back in Toronto for three months but it never occurred to me to go to DeGrassi and The Dot. I've been to The Dot nearly every day for coffee and talked a lot with Spinner, he's come to the hospital several times to see Clare too.

I call Adam and tell him the baby has been born and he tells me to tell Clare and Eli that he'll be out this weekend. I know that Adam has talked to his brother a little bit but he's estranged from both Drew and Dallas at this point.

After talking with Adam I go back into Clare's room and wait for her to be brought back in. I don't have to wait long as she gets wheeled in shortly after I sit down. She looks tired and slightly out of it but she's awake.

"I want to see my son," she says weakly.

"Soon Clare you need to recover a little and your son will be tired," the nurse tells her.

"Eli's with him and your mom. I called Adam and he said he'd be out this weekend," I tell Clare sitting at her bedside when the nurse gets out of the way. Clare looks up at me and takes my hand with a smile.

"I'm really glad you're here with me, I feel better when you're around," she says.

I grin and kiss the back of her hand, "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."


	2. Up from Under

**I have posted August and September calendars on my page of the DeGrassi Saviors website so check those out.**

 **Welcome to chapter two. I had multiple requests for a conclusion chapter showing the baby coming home and more of Peter and Clare's relationship so here it is. Enjoy!**

 **Ch. 2 Up from Under**

 **(CLARE)**

"You did great," Peter smiles as he pushes my wheelchair down the hall.

"I'm exhausted but as soon as I see Nathaniel everything will be better," I comment.

Nathaniel is my son, Eli and I agreed on the name because Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of our favorite authors. He's a month old today but he'll be in the hospital at least another three weeks. I was in the hospital for an additional ten days after giving birth and then went home to be on bed rest again. Mostly bed rest anyway I have physical therapy four times a week. After a total of twelve weeks in the hospital and having to be immobilized from the waist down for most of that my muscles atrophied. Not to mention the twice broken bones that are still healing. I'm at the hospital four times a week for physical therapy and when I don't have to come for physical therapy I'm here to see my son. Eli comes before and after work and we're often here together. The two of us are allowed in the room any time.

Peter wheels me to the NICU and after sanitation and scrubs he wheels me in. Eli is here holding our son and he smiles at us. Eli's been very supportive of the growing relationship between Peter and I. The two of them are becoming friends, Peter and Adam became fast friends since they bonded over music. Adam is home now and will be attending Ryerson with me in the fall. Dallas left for Guelph the day after grad and will soon be leaving for Japan, the farther away he is the better. Drew also left, he left a week after grad, he and Adam haven't spoken and Drew just took off, except for a coupe e-mails to his parents so they know he's alive no one has heard from him. I'm not sorry he's gone but I wish for his family's sake he hadn't just run away.

"Mommy's here," Eli says to our son before handing Nathaniel to me. He only came off the ventilator a few days ago and he's still hooked to a bunch of monitors but we can hold him now. I was so very happy when I finally got to hold my baby boy, it was an incredibly magical feeling.

"Hi Beautiful Boy," I smile at my son.

"I have to get ready for work but I'll be here after work," Eli tells me as he stands up. He kisses our son's forehead and smiles at me and Peter before leaving.

I hold my son and feed him, hold him against my bare chest and I don't want to let him go. I never want to let him go but I know I have to eventually.

"We can cancel dinner but you still need to eat," Peter tells me when I don't want to let go of my son.

"No let's go to dinner I want to spend time with Adam," I reply reluctantly giving my son to the nurse.

Peter wheels me out to the curb and gets the car. I can walk with support but I'm still healing and rebuilding the muscles. I walk the few steps to the car and Peter helps me out of the car and into the restaurant where we're meeting Adam and Alli. The two began dating a couple of weeks ago after Adam came home. I never thought they'd get together but they actually make a pretty good couple, she makes him take some risks and he treats her with respect. And unlike all of Alli's past relationships this one is less physical and more intellectual.

"Nathaniel is so beautiful we went to see him earlier," Alli tells me after I sit down.

"Yeah he is, I can't wait for him to come home I hope he doesn't have to stay longer than three more weeks I want my baby home."

"How was physio?" Adam asks.

"Hard, it feels so weird to barely be able to move anything below my waist. My therapist says I'm doing well but I'll have at least two more months," I sigh.

"Hard to believe all that came from a fall," Alli remarks.

"It wasn't so much the fall as the broken bone and pregnancy, the bone getting broken again and that she couldn't move for ten weeks," Peter says.

"I don't know how you just laid there for ten weeks I would have gone crazy," Adam comments.

"I didn't have a choice, if I moved I could have put me and my baby in danger. At least I had lots of company to keep me from going crazy."

Dinner is nice, it does feel good to be out of the house and the hospital. It feels good to be spending time with my friends in a normal setting without monitors or nurses or my mom fussing around. After dinner we say goodnight to Adam and Alli and Peter helps me to his car.

"I want to go to the hospital and see Nathaniel again. Eli should be there by now and he can take me home, I know you have work tomorrow."

"Okay back to the hospital," he smiles.

Peter takes me back and carries me in. I get a wheelchair after physio but otherwise we have to request one. I walk part way and then Peter carries me. He sets me down just outside the NICU. We see Eli through the window and he smiles at me.

"Eli's here, he'll get me home," I tell Peter.

"Okay I'll call you tomorrow," Peter says placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

I wash my hands and change into scrubs before going in. Eli is doing kangaroo therapy with Nathaniel, that is he has Nathaniel in nothing but a diaper lying on his bare chest. I smile at them and sit down next to them.

"You want to hold him?" Eli asks.

"No you hold him I just wanted to be with him, he looks so comfortable and at peace," I grin holding Nathaniel's tiny hand and stroking the back of it.

I look at Eli and he smiles before looking back at our son and softly stroking his head.

 **(PETER)**

"I can't believe he's finally coming home," Clare smiles looking down at Nathaniel as I wheel them both out in a wheelchair. Eli walks next us carrying a bag of Nathaniel's things.

"He's happy to be coming home, to be with us," Eli grins.

Friends and family will be waiting for all of us at Clare's house. She's improved a lot in the last month, Nathaniel's due date was last week but they kept him in the hospital an extra week because of his low weight and under developed lungs.

"I'll sit in back with him you sit up front with Peter," Eli tells Clare when we're at my car. Eli sets the bag in the trunk and I put Nathaniel in his car seat while Clare slowly sits in the front seat. She's moving better now but she's still a little weak and still moves slow sometimes.

I drive us back to Clare's and Eli gets the carrier out to take Nathaniel in. I grab the bag and help Clare into the house. Of course everyone crowds around to see the baby and Clare sits in an arm chair to get comfortable. Her bone has finally healed well and her muscles are getting stronger but some movements like sitting are still hard and painful for her. When Clare is sitting, and Adam is with her so I know she'll be taken care of, I take Nathaniel's bag up to his nursery. They turned Jake's old room into the nursery, he's thirteen weeks but he'll still be sleeping in Clare's room for a few weeks. Eli will also be sleeping here for a few weeks but he has a bed in the nursery. He wanted to be here to help welcome his son home and to help Clare, and her parents, take care of the baby. He'll stay here most nights until the summer is over. When they know their school schedules they'll discuss the best custody arrangement to work around school schedules and Eli's job.

"So Nathaniel is home now do I still get to take you to dinner?" I ask sitting on the arm of Clare's chair.

"Yes," she smiles taking my hand and interlacing our fingers, "yes I would love to go to dinner with you."

"Good, tomorrow night then I know you want to be home with Nathaniel tonight."

Clare smiles and puts her head on my arm. She watches everyone fawn over Nathaniel but only Eli and Adam hold him. When he's hungry Eli feeds him with a bottle. Everyone stays for hours, they eat and talk and see the baby. They leave by early evening, I kiss Clare's cheek and tell her to call me if she needs anything. Then I say goodnight to Eli and Clare's parents before I go home. I want tomorrow night to be perfect so I spend all night planning. When I go to pick up Clare the next evening my jaw hits the floor. She's wearing a short sleeve wrap dress that's scarlet in color, it comes to her knees and shows off her bust while beautifully outlining her other curves.

"You look incredible," I grin.

"Thanks," she smiles softly. "Mom is watching Nathaniel for now but Eli will be home from work soon. They told me to have a good time and not worry about Nathaniel. I have the feeling that I will still worry though."

"That's because you're a good mom," I reply offering her my arm.

She smiles taking my arm and I escort her to my car opening the door for her. I knew tonight should be calm and romantic so I found a quiet restaurant and reserved the most private table. The restaurant has private booths with curtains and everything, I asked them to put colored roses in the booth and they were happy to do it. When we arrive at the restaurant I open Clare's door and offer her my arm, she takes it and we walk into the restaurant.

"Reservations for Stone."

"Right this way," the hostess smiles picking up two menus. She takes us back to the booth and Clare smiles when she sees the flowers. The waitress sets our menus down and Clare kisses my cheek before slowly sliding into the booth.

"They're beautiful thank you Peter."

"They're not half as beautiful as you," I tell her and she grins biting her lip shyly. Before she picks up her menu I reach over and take her hands in mine. "I know you've been through a lot and there will be a lot of adjustments in the coming months. I know all that but you know how I feel about you, and I think you know that I will be there to support you and hold you through all of it. I've spent the last few months falling in love with an amazing woman and I want to be with you, and Nathaniel. I know we've been together in a way for the last few months and you needed time but I'd like us to be official and you to be my girlfriend."

"I know how much you care about me and Nathaniel and I know how happy you make me and how I feel when I'm with you. Yes, I will be your girlfriend," she grins.

I smile wide and move over to sit next to her, I cup her face and gently bring our lips together in a blissful kiss.

 **Hope you enjoyed this conclusion chapter. One Shot Week continues tomorrow and Monday and then it's Short Story Month!**


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